


Who Are You?

by Zorro_sci



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Banner isn't really Bruce, Bruce Has Issues, M/M, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony doesn't like "new Bruce", Warning for abuse, magic!, the team likes "new Bruce", warning for dubious consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 22:20:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1916010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorro_sci/pseuds/Zorro_sci
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hulk is hit by a burst of magic during a battle.  Afterwards Bruce starts acting differently.  The others love it, and think Bruce is finally coming of his shell.  Tony isn't so sure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A burst of white light

**Author's Note:**

> In response to this prompt: http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/17385.html?thread=39534569&
> 
> WARNING: abuse, and dubious consent

The Avengers were fighting Amora and her minions when suddenly she threw a ball of white energy towards Hulk. He froze for a second as the light engulfed him, and Tony hit his thrusters to get to his comrade's side as quickly as possible. Then, as quickly as the light had appeared, it disappeared, and Hulk was still standing there, apparently unharmed. 

He shook his big green head and charged the sorceress at full speed. She teleported out of the way and popped up a few feet away. The Hulk went to charge her again, but she did the same thing.

The little game was clearly getting on his nerves. He roared in frustration, smashing left and right as he tried to hit his intended target, but failed each time. As he unhappily tried to better the sorceress, the rest of the team subdued her minions. Seeing that her henchmen were beaten, she opened a portal and disappeared through it, leaving the Hulk frustrated and panting next to the spot where she had disappeared.

 Huffing and puffing from the battle, Hulk crouched into a ball and began transforming back into Bruce. Green skin turned tan, and the large muscled form shrunk back into the leaner frame of the physicist. The change nearly complete, Bruce fell to the ground in a heap.  
   
Tony was at his side with spare clothes as quickly as the Iron Man suit allowed, just like he always was. If questioned, he would say that Bruce was his "bro" and "bros don't let bros lay naked in the street," but nearly everyone on the team knew he had a major crush on the other scientist. Everyone except Steve, who seemed oblivious to that kind of thing, and Bruce, who though usually possibly the most observant member of the team, seemed unable to notice Tony's advances, or more likely, unable to believe that they were anything other than Tony joking around.

 "I brought some clothes for you Big Guy," Tony said as Bruce started to come around.

 "Tell me you weren't enjoying the view," Bruce answered, shocking Tony enough to actually cause him to flush.

 "I didn't know it was possible to make Stark blush," Clint commented as he walked up behind the pair.

"But isn't he adorable when he does?" Bruce teased.

 "Are you feeling alright Bruce? Amora hit the Other Guy with a huge burst of magic," Tony changed the subject. Nothing seemed to be wrong with Bruce per se, but he was definitely acting different.

 "I feel fine; even great," Bruce responded quickly.

 Tony eyed him suspiciously, but nodded at his response. The team made their way back to the Quinjet, and before long the Avengers were back at the Tower avoiding paperwork.


	2. He came out of nowhere

Tony awoke to the sound of laughter coming from the common kitchen. It seemed that Clint and Natasha were joking around after their morning sparring secession. That in and of itself was not so unusual. The pair frequently were in a good mood after sparring. What was unusual was a third voice. A deeper, throaty chuckle that jointed the duet of laughing assassins.  
 It was Bruce, Tony realized with surprise. Though Bruce's laugh was something he had only heard a couple of times in the near half year that Bruce had lived with him, the sound was unmistakable. Tony entered the kitchen burning with curiosity at what the resident super spies had done to pry such a rare sound out of the physicist.

"You should join our sparring sessions more often doc," Clint said, paying no attention to the billionaire's presence.

"Yeah, you're surprisingly good for someone without training," Natasha added.

 "I honestly didn't think you had it in you. But you certainly threw me into the wall forcefully enough," Clint commented with a smile and a soft chuckle.

 "What?!?" Tony couldn't help but interject. Bruce had thrown someone against the wall? Intentionally? While not the Hulk? It seemed very out of character for the gentle scientist he knew.

"Good morning, Tony," Bruce practically purred as he turned his attention to the engineer. "Something wrong? Do you not want to share me with the other Avengers?"

 Tony flushed and found himself actually stammering to try and come up with a reply. Sure, he had a crush on Bruce, he had for a while, but up until yesterday Bruce had seemed completely oblivious to his infatuation. Now he seemed to not only notice, but was calling him out on it in front of other members of the team. Tony was thrown for a complete loop. What was going on? 

"You should have seen him Stark," Natasha stepped in, trying to ease the tension. "He's actually pretty sneaky, and a lot stronger than he looks. He definitely kept me on my toes, and he's really just a beginner."

"Same time tomorrow, doc?" Clint asked before he left the kitchen.

"Absolutely, see you then," Bruce called jovially.

Clint smiled and gave a thumbs up before he disappeared into the elevator.

"So apparently you have some sort of ninja stealth or super fighting skills, huh?" Tony joked, unsure of what to make of all that he had just heard.

"What can I say? You never see me coming, but I can be very forceful when I want to be," he remarked, his eyes blatantly looking up and down Tony's form.

Tony was torn between being ecstatic and being creeped out. In some ways, this was a dream come true. He had been waiting, pining away, for Bruce to notice him. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, Bruce wanted him too. The way Bruce was acting now, it seemed clear that the scientist wanted him too. Still, the way he was showing interest, it was so _not Bruce_. It almost felt as if another person entirely were doing all of the things that Tony had been craving for the last several months.

 "You've certainly come out of nowhere lately," Tony commented slightly uncomfortably.

 "Oh, man up Stark," Bruce sighed. "Do you want to go out on a date or what? Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been checking me out the last few months."

 Well, now that was out in the open . . . 

 Tony froze momentarily. He'd wanted to ask Bruce out for so long, but somehow this seemed wrong. Still, whether Bruce was acting strangely or not he didn't have any illusions that he would get a second chance at this if he said no. He pushed his doubts aside, (he must just be tired from the last transformation, he didn't sleep like he usually does afterward. That's why he's acting a little off), and pasted on a mega-watt smile.

 "Tomorrow at eight?" Tony asked.

 "Great," Bruce nodded.

 "I'll pick you up at your apartment," Tony added before he fled the kitchen. He finally had his date with Bruce, so why wasn't he happier?


	3. A drinking game

Later that night they had their weekly team dinner, and to everyone's surprise, Bruce entertained them all with his lively, witty stories about his time traveling the globe. They were all transfixed by the charismatic way that he recounted his experiences in the far corners of the earth. He spoke with such levity about his travels that one could almost forget he was running from a powerful General at the time.

"Thanks for making dinner Bruce. It was delicious," Steve complimented as he helped clear the table. 

 "My friends, I have finally managed to acquire some Asgardian mead. After such a wonderful night of merriment we should end it with some celebratory drinking," Thor boomed as he pulled out several large bottles that presumably contained mead.

 "Count me in," Clint said excitedly.

 "I'm in," Natasha said simply.

 "How could I say no to the God of Thunder?" Tony chipped in.

 "I guess one wouldn't hurt," Steve added shyly.

 "Sounds good. I'm in," Bruce said, before he was shot an unbelieving look from Tony.

"You know there's no pressure. Right, Big Guy?" Tony whispered, shocked at Bruce's apparent acceptance of an alcoholic beverage. Bruce didn't drink . . . Ever. Not even a beer.

 "No pressure, just enjoying a drink with colleagues. No big deal," Bruce muttered back. 

 Somehow "a drink" turned into a drinking game with Thor, and the usually squeaky clean physicist ended up passed out on the common room sofa after matching the thunder god drink for drink.

Tony rolled Bruce onto his left side and covered his unconscious friend with the blanket draped over the back of the couch. With a worried look on his face, he rejoined the others.

 "Brother Bruce is an amazingly good sport," Thor was saying jovially. "He actually seemed to have enjoyed himself tonight, though he does seem to have had too much mead."

 "Bruce has been acting differently, hasn't he? Ever since Amora hit him with that blast," Tony commented, trying to get the others to weigh in on the current situation.

 "What do you mean?" Clint slurred, (he and Natasha had both gotten sloppy drunk).

 "I mean, sparring with you and Natasha? Drinking games with Thor? Flirting with me? He even more or less asked me out!" Tony recounted with incredulity.

 "Please say you said yes," Natasha added in a nearly incomprehensible string of words, "'s 'bout time someone did sum'in 'bout all your puppy dog eyes and pinin'."

 "I said yes, not that it's any of your business, but I'm worried about him. He's clearly not himself," Tony said with concern coursing through his voice. 

 If the others hadn't all been drunk, (well tipsy and not overly observant in Thor's case, and already in bed having truly left after one drink in Steve's case), they might have noticed that Tony was displaying a level of emotion and vulnerability that was very unusual for him. As it was however, the spies were intoxicated enough that instead of noticing the change in Tony and responding accordingly, they decided to mock him.

 "What's th'matter, Stark? 'Fraid he'll break if he actually has a lil fun for once," Clint fumbled out mockingly.

 "Ma'be he's jus' 'fraid Bruce'll be more in'eres'ing than him now," Natasha pitched in.

 "Jus' let 'im be. He's ac'lly enjoying himself. No more, 'I must punish myself, I'm a monster,' crap. Le' 'im lighten up," Clint reprimanded as sternly as he could, considering he could hardly sit in a chair.

"He does make a good point, Friend Tony. Although Dr. Banner has been acting differently, he mainly seems to have become more social and more willing to try new things. That can hardly be a bad thing," Thor tried to reason.

"Yeah, new Bruce is the best," Clint pitched in.

 "Exactly, don't let your drunken jealousy get in the way Stark," Natasha added.

 Tony nodded quietly, though he was nowhere near drunk, (he had stopped drinking the moment Bruce had started drinking his second mug of mead), and he was still far from convinced. Sure, Bruce seemed more social, and he had no problem with that. Watching him recount tales of his travels over dinner had been a rewarding experience. Still, some of the changes, like the drinking, were far more disturbing. It seemed like a lot more than "Bruce having a little fun for once," but maybe they were right, and he should let it drop. Bruce did seem to be enjoying himself, and for the past two days Tony hadn't seen even a glimpse of the other man's typical self-hatred, which was admittedly a welcome change.

 Still pondering if perhaps the others were right and the changes in Bruce were by and large good, Tony settled himself into an arm chair in the common area, (there was no way he was leaving his passed-out friend alone), and bid the others good night.


	4. Hot dogs and baseball

Tony awoke the next day to find that he had been covered up at some point, and the couch was empty. A quick look out the windows showed that it was a few hours past midday, (which only made sense since Tony had stayed awake most of the night to keep watch over his drunk friend . . Boyfriend? . . .whatever), so Tony decided to check on Bruce and then head to the lab.

 "JARVIS, where is Dr. Banner?" Tony asked.

 "He went to a baseball game with Captain Rogers," the AI replied.

 "What?!? Does Bruce even like baseball?" Tony blurted out in surprise.

"I had never heard him express a fondness for the game before today, but he seemed quite excited to be going," JARVIS replied.

 "Right," Tony muttered to himself. He grabbed a cup of coffee and headed into the garage hoping to lose himself in tinkering and forget all about the strange way Bruce had been acting lately.

 He had largely succeeded when he heard voices in the garage. Bruce and Steve were returning from the game, chattering excitedly about how well certain players had performed, and exciting plays and highlights of the game.

 "See you tomorrow," Bruce called, as he spotted Tony and changed direction to walk toward the engineer.

 "Tomorrow, and remember, come hungry. Other Guy or not, there's no way you're winning that hot dog eating contest," Steve called as he headed to the elevator.

 "Hot dog eating contest?" Tony asked as he raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew, Bruce was a vegetarian.

 "Well, Steve and I are going to the game tomorrow, and there's going to be a hot dog contest before it starts. Steve made some comment about how he always used to enter contests like that and lose before the serum, but now it wouldn't be fair because he would easily beat everyone. Then I commented that he might not have such a good chance against me. Before I knew it we were both signing up, and we kinda have a bet about which one of us is going to win tomorrow," Bruce answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Aren't you a vegetarian?" Tony asked.

 "Do I look like a tree-hugging hippie to you?" Bruce shot back with an eyebrow raised.

 Part of Tony wanted to say yes, yes the Bruce Banner he knew was a vegetarian, who mediated and did yoga, drank green tea and was a bit of a hippie, but instead he found himself shaking his head in silence.

  _It's nothing,_ he told himself, _So he decided to eat meat. It's probably not a bad idea given the way the Other Guy seems to up his metabolism, and really it's not that big a change. Besides it gives us more options for where we can eat. I won't have to be so careful about making sure the restaurant has a decent vegetarian option._

Still trying to reassure himself that "new Bruce" was good, like the others said, he made his way to his lab. He just needed to be alone for a bit.


	5. The date

Tony spent almost two hours getting ready for his date, and found that he was actually quite nervous as he made his way up to Bruce's apartment. He had always expected that he would find a date with Bruce nerve-wracking, but it was more than that. He felt like he hardly knew the person he was taking out, despite Bruce having lived with him from months. Good or bad, Bruce had changed.

Hesitantly, Tony knocked on the door. It was immediately opened by Bruce who was wearing a charcoal tailored suit that highlighted his broad shoulders and trim form. It was quite a change from his usual baggy khakis and button down shirts, and Tony took a moment to appreciate the view. Bruce caught his eye and grinned wickedly, clearly knowing exactly what Tony was doing, which caused Tony to flush like a child caught doing something wrong.

"Ready to go?" Tony asked, trying to hide the slight quaver in his voice

"Yeah, let's go," Bruce said as he strode out of the door with Tony.  

The pair took the elevator down to the lobby and then strode out onto the bustling streets of the city. Under normal circumstances, Tony would have worried about Bruce's reaction to the teeming crowds they were walking through, but Bruce seemed at ease beside him. He was even meeting people's eyes as the walked by them instead of staring at the ground or his shoes. 

_See, Thor's right. Mainly he's just more confident. It's a good thing,_ Tony thought to himself.

The pair walked a few blocks to a nearby restaurant and entered through a backdoor. As they entered it occurred to Tony that they probably could have entered through the front door, but he had made arrangements with this restaurant months ago, asking them to keep a table open for him between seven and ten o'clock every night, (better to be be prepared). He had also informed them, (because why would he ask, he was Tony Stark after all), that he and his date would be entering through an out-of-the-way backdoor to avoid attention. The restaurant had quickly agreed, not only because Tony was paying them quite well to do so, but also because they had no desire to risk ending up on Tony Stark's bad side.

Tony and Bruce settled at their table, and before long the were laughing and chatting. They completely lost themselves in conversation as they enjoyed a gourmet meal and wine. Everything was flowing so easily and effortlessly that Tony didn't even think twice about Bruce's very un-vegetarian choice of entree or his pairing of said entree with a fine wine. He was too caught up in the charismatic way that Bruce was talking. The gleam in his eye as he joked, and laughed, and seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. 

All in all the date couldn't have gone much better. Tony couldn't help but smile to himself as he dropped Bruce off at his apartment for the night, pleased with the way the evening had gone. He left with his lips still tingling from their first kiss, and the promise of another date the following evening.


	6. Pressure

A new routine was born, and everyone seemed happy with it. Bruce sparred with Clint and Natasha every morning, watched sports with Steve, occasionally engaged in drinking contests with Thor, (okay, that still bothered Tony, it just didn't seem safe to try to outdrink a Norse god), and went on dates with Tony nearly every day. Everyone seemed pleased with "new Bruce", and thought him a great improvement over shy, fidgety, self-conscious "old Bruce." Well, maybe not Tony, but he was learning to adjust to the changes in his best-friend-turned-boyfriend.

Admittedly there were times that the engineer found "new Bruce" a little hard to adjust to, but if Bruce was working toward being more confident and social, far be it for Tony to try to stop him. He had wanted the physicist to come out of his shell, if that had unforeseen side-effects, he would just have to adjust. At least so the billionaire told himself until one night that forever changed his perception of so-called "new Bruce."

It was late, and he and Bruce had just returned from a late movie. He was dropping Bruce off at the door of his floor, as had become the norm for them over their series of dates, and kissing him good night. When Tony turned to leave after a breathless, whispered "good night", his arm was caught by the other scientist.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bruce purred.

Tony swallowed and flushed, unable to answer when he saw the lust in the other man's eyes. Although he had dreamed of having sex with Bruce for quite sometime, he knew from conversations the pair had had before that Bruce, (well at least "old Bruce"), had been worried that sexual activity might cause him to Hulk out and thus he had been celibate for several years. Tony had not wanted to pressure the other man, and had steered clear of the topic throughout all of their dates thus far. Additionally, though Tony was certainly no virgin, and was not known for one night stands for no reason, he had wanted to wait until the right moment to move their relationship to a more physical level, because the feelings he had for Bruce were just so different than those he had had for any of his fellow bed partners. It just seemed like his first time with Bruce should be special. He felt a little bit silly for thinking that, but he couldn't deny that it was a thought he frequently had when thinking about finally sleeping with the other scientist.

These were the thoughts going through his head as Bruce claimed his mouth in a bruising kiss. At first it felt so good that Tony let himself sink into it, but as Bruce started to run one of his hands up Tony's back under his shirt he pulled back in shock.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Tony asked as he broke the kiss. 

"I've waited seven years since the last time. I'm pretty ready," Bruce countered.

"Are you sure? I mean, it might be better if we wait. You know, until some time where . . ." Tony started. He would never admit it to anyone else, he had a reputation to maintain, but despite their many dates, this seemed a little rushed to him.

"Where what? Where the stars are shining and the world is perfect? Don't be such a girl. I thought you were a 'genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist'. Why don't you show me how you earned that 'playboy' title?" Bruce goaded.

His words were followed by another hungry kiss, and this time Tony found himself giving in completely. He followed Bruce into his bedroom, and the pair consummated their relationship. It was good, but not nearly as good as Tony had imagined. There was none of the warmth he thought would set sex with Bruce apart, only a frantic scramble for pleasure that was not nearly as satisfying as Tony thought it should be. Truthfully, Tony's heart hadn't been in it, and as he lay next to Bruce trying to sleep he felt shame course through him for letting himself be pressured into something he knew he wasn't ready for.

The next morning, Bruce made breakfast and Tony wondered if maybe he should just tell his boyfriend how he was feeling. Surely the other man hadn't meant to pressure him into sex. That would be completely out of character for Bruce. Still, in his shame he was unable to find his voice. He would talk to Bruce later. No need to hurt his feelings and make him think he regretted their actions, even if he did a little. 

He decided he would bring it up next time, to prevent a repeat performance if need be, but not now. Not when the aroma of pancakes and eggs reminded him of just how considerate Bruce was, and how ridiculous it was to think that sweet Bruce would try to manipulate him in such a way.

As it turned out, he didn't need to wait long. After dinner that same evening Bruce pulled Tony into a needy kiss as he opened his apartment door and started to pull Tony through it with him.

Seeing that this was quickly going the way of the other night, Tony pulled away and put up a hand to stop Bruce from pulling him into another kiss.

"Bruce . . . Uh . . . About last night. I really think that . . ." Tony fumbled for the right words. He mentally kicked himself for not having thought through what to say ahead of time. He didn't want to hurt Bruce, but he had to stop this.

"What? Was it not good for you?" Bruce asked with wide eyes.

"Well. . . . It wasn't bad . . . But . . . " _now what do I say? This is awful. He's going to think I'm saying something that I'm not. I really should have found a better way to do this._

"But what? I'm not attractive enough for you? I don't know how to please you? At least not as well as the other people you've been with. I know there's been a lot of other people for you . . .and I've never been with a man before you. I guess I probably have a lot to learn, but I am trying," Bruce said his tone vacillating between mild accusation and pleading.

"No, it's not that you're not attractive enough. I'm very attracted to you. And there may have been a lot of others, but that's not it either. It's just . . . I don't think last night was the right time to do what we did. This all seems kind of rushed . . .and I don't want to feel like what we have between us is merely physical. I don't know . . .in all of my other relationships it was all about sex, so we always rushed to bed as quickly as possible. With us, I want it to be about something more, so it might be better if wait before we do anything else," Tony explained. His explanation sounded a little pitiful even to his own ears, but he was telling the truth. It was exactly how he felt about Bruce and their relationship.

"I see. You want to show me I'm special by making me the one person you won't sleep with. You could have just said I was bad in the sack, instead making up some long-winded excuse. I'm sorry it was so bad for you," Bruce shot back, hurt and anger evident in his voice.

He turned to enter into his apartment when Tony put his arm in front of him to block him.

"Wait," Tony said with a bit of an edge to it. "I meant every word. I do care about you. More than the others."

"See, you keep saying that, but at no point have you actually said that I was actually able to make last night enjoyable for you. It's what you don't say that condemns you Stark," he retorted. "Just go away. I should have known that I could never compare with the many far more skilled conquests of a playboy. I'll let you find a more appropriate partner. One you actually _want_ to have sex with."

Before he could think, Tony was pressing his lips against Bruce's. If Bruce needed to know that he found him attractive, he was going to do that right now. Sure, he would have rather waited, but he didn't want Bruce to feel like he couldn't satisfy Tony, so he was going to show him that he did appreciate his bedroom skill, even if it meant going against his better judgment. Still, as they cleaned up after, Tony couldn't help but wonder if he'd been played.

The thought made him feel horrible for being so suspicious, and incredibly used at the same time. How he could suspect that Bruce would be so manipulative was beyond him . . .although . . Well, Bruce had been far from himself lately.


	7. What just happened?

Before Tony could overanalyze the night before too much the following morning the Avengers received a call to assemble. There was apparently an army of giant, mutated goldfish that had crawled out of the sewers and were attacking Chicago.

The team climbed onto a Quinjet and started their journey to the Windy City as Cap started to lay out their plan of attack. From what they had heard the fish were incredibly fast moving, and had very thick, armor-like scales. They were going to have to target their weak spots, like their eyes, to stop them.

With a plan of attack set, they all piled out of the jet and got to work. Iron Man took to the skies and started shooting well-placed laser beams at fish eyes. Cap began smacking fish across the head with his shield, Thor fried fish with lightning, and Hawkeye and Widow took down mutated fish left and right with shooting that clearly attested their advanced marksmenship. Bruce on the other hand, just stood there for a moment. He didn't Hulk-out. It didn't seem like he was going to do anything.

Tony noted Bruce's lack of movement and made a beeline for the other man. If Bruce were for some reason unable to Hulk-out, then he would make sure that he was protected. However, as he got closer Bruce picked up a large, broken chunk of wood from among debris of a destroyed building, and began to attack the fish with such ferocity that Tony was taken aback. 

Bruce continued jabbing and stabbing at the targets; frequently stabbing a few more times than was necessary after he downed one of the mutants. He was soon covered in fish blood, but seemed not to notice. The others however noticed his rage-filled, yet oddly calm, attack. Sure, they were all targeting and killing the fish, but Bruce's frenzied attacks carried so much violence that they were all surprised he did not turn into his greener self.

The battle ended, and the weary team loaded themselves back into the jet in silence. As they sat largely staring blankly into space a few questioning glances were shot in the direction of the doctor when he was looking the other way. No one quite knew how to explain what they had witnessed.


	8. A crushing blow

The following day Tony decided to question Bruce about his actions in Chicago. After breakfast he invited Bruce up to the penthouse. The other man followed without question, looking at him suggestively as the elevators opened on Tony's private floor.

Tony quickly took a seat on his couch and urged Bruce to join him. The scientist followed and sat down so close to Tony he was practically on his lap.

"Bruce, I can't help but notice that you didn't hulk-out yesterday," Tony started.

"It wasn't necessary," Bruce countered calmly.

"Maybe not . . .but the way you were attacking those fish, it seemed . . .more brutal than was necessary," Tony tried carefully. He didn't want to say too much too quickly and risk Bruce shutting down or ignoring him, but he felt he needed to be clear.

"They were threats and they needed to be dealt with. There was no reasoning with them, so we needed to kill them. I think the amount of force used is irrelevant. Why Stark, did it bother you? Are you advocating for mutant, killer fish?" Bruce said derivisely.

"No, but Bruce, it just seemed . . .unusual for you. You're one of the kindest men I've ever met, and yesterday the man I was fighting with seemed like a different person entirely," Tony tried to explain.

"So it bothers you that I'm not a weakling?!? Oh, I get it! You need to keep me helpless so you can feel like the strong one in the relationship. You're so eager to prove your worth that if I could take care of myself I would have no need for you. Well guess what Tony, I don't need you. I am capable of taking care of things on my own," Bruce said viciously.

"I'm not saying you can't Bruce . . ." Tony started only to be cut off.

"In fact, other than the fact you're a good lay, there's no reason to even _want_ you in my life. You're loud and overbearing to hide the fact that if anyone ever got to know the you underneath they wouldn't like him, and they would leave. Just like everyone does in your life. They would see you as the same disappointment that your father saw and realize how unworthy you are of all that you have. How little you've actually achieved. I know I did. You're nothing but a spoiled, rich boy whose only accomplishments were stolen from his father or achieved through dumb luck. 

You are good in bed though. I'll give you that. Must be all the experience you gained from being the epitome of a man-whore. Still, that's only good for a bit of stress relief. Do you honestly think anyone could love the sniveling, insecure, pathetic excuse for a man that you are?"

Tony Stark was a man of many masks. It was a necessity with as much of his life as he had spent in the spotlight. Still, in this moment, hearing the person he cared about most in the world turn on him, he let his masks slide and all the pain of Bruce's words clearly showed in his eyes. His face was filled with unmasked sorrow as he struggled to cover what he was feeling.

"Are you surprised?" Bruce sneered. "Did you really think I could love you? You're worthless."

Tony flinched as if he had been struck across the face.

"However, I could use a little stress-relief. How about you show me again what a skilled man-whore you are? It is, after all, the only thing you have going for you," Bruce purred venomously.

Tony stood up to walk away, too hurt and shell-shocked to trust his voice enough to answer. He had only taken one step when a heavy hand on his arm turn him around with bruising force.

"So you're ignoring me now, huh Stark? How very mature," Bruce snarled.

"Just leave. You're not yourself," Tony said as firmly as he could, but it lacked the steel he desired.

"Is that so?" Bruce shot back.

"Yeah. The Bruce Banner I know isn't an asshole," Tony said slightly more strongly. 

The words had no sooner left his mouth than a fist connected with his jaw. Between the surprise and the impact Tony was thrown to the floor, and once he was down, Bruce wasted no time in getting in a few good kicks to his ribs.

The kicks left Tony winded, so he was in no shape to resist when Bruce hauled him up by his collar and punched him in the face again; this time giving him a black eye with one blow and splitting his lip with another. Finally, he gave Tony a look of complete and utter disgust, slammed him against the wall savagely, and then pushed him to the ground with all of his might.

With Tony broken and bleeding on the floor, Bruce turned on his heel and marched out of the penthouse. As soon as the door slammed behind the scientist's retreating form, Tony burst into tears. The physical pain was excruciating, but it still could not match the betrayal and confusion he felt coursing through him.


	9. A stranger where there was once a friend

Bruce walked into the common kitchen as Steve was working on preparing tomato soup and grilled cheese for himself and the rest of the team. The resident Thunder God had expressed curiosity as to the "midgardian delicacy" that the Captain was preparing, and before he knew it, the assassins expressed interest in joining them and Steve was cooking for the entire team.

"Would you like some, Bruce? The rest of us were up for some comfort food," the soldier explained.

"Sure. Just make sure you don't burn it like you did the last team dinner. It was barely edible," Bruce remarked.

Steve's ears colored, but he set aside his annoyance and decided he would try to change the subject. "Will Stark be joining us, or is he too busy down in his workshop?"

"Why would I know or care what that waste of space is doing?" Bruce asked in a tone that had a sharp edge to it.

"Did you two have a fight?" Clint asked, confused by the doctor's harshness.

"No, I just finally admitted that he's a worthless, entitled, rich brat; just like Cap called him out to be when we met. I never realized how right he was until now," Bruce replied with cutting nonchalance.

"I-I didn't say that, and my first impressions of Tony were wrong," Steve stammered, uncomfortable with the way Bruce was talking, and even more uncomfortable with the way he was being involved in the situation.

"What did you do to Stark, Banner?" Natasha accused. She didn't know what had gotten into the physicist, but if he was willing to say these things to the team, then . . .well, she doubted he had held back with Tony.

"Nothing he didn't deserve," Bruce replied breezily, before adding, "On second thought, I think I'll skip the kumbaya-filled lunch. I have more important things to do."

He left the room with the others staring after him.

"Friend Banner does not seem to be himself," Thor rumbled sadly.

"We should go find Stark," Natasha added. She was far from the man's biggest fan, but they were a team, and if he had experienced any of the hatred that Bruce had just shown the team she knew he would be devastated.

"JARVIS where is Stark?" Clint asked the ceiling.

"He is in the penthouse . . .but I doubt he wants any visitors," the AI replied.

"Too bad. We're a team, so he doesn't get a choice," the archer replied.

The foursome piled into the elevator, and Natasha overrode JARVIS' protocols to allow them to ascend to the penthouse.

When the elevator doors opened the four assembled Avengers didn't see Tony at first. The penthouse living room appeared to be empty. When they finally did see him curled up under the bar with his back resting against it, bruised and bloodied face nearly hidden in his arms, tears on his cheeks, and eyes red and puffy; they were taken aback.

Noticing their presence, Tony quickly tried to pull himself together. He turned around quickly and angrily wiped the tears from his face, stood up, poured himself a scotch, and put on as much of a mask of neutrality as he could muster. No one spoke for a while, Tony trying to avoid the situation, and the others rendered mute by his battered appearance.

"Dr. Banner did that?" Steve whispered in shock, gesturing to Tony's bruises and cuts.

Tony nodded and then added emotionlessly, "If he is, in fact, Bruce."

"What do you mean?" Steve questioned.

"Well, he hasn't exactly been acting like himself the last couple of day. First the battle, now this," Natasha commented matter-of-factly.

"That's the thing," Tony interjected, his voice still completely devoid of any feeling. "It hasn't been only the last two or three days, it's been the last couple of weeks . . .since he changed back after Amora, really."

"Stark's right. It was more subtle at first, but Banner started acting differently as soon as he woke up," Clint agreed.

Thor's eyes grew wide, "Friends, it is quite possible that the enchantress cast a spell to change the kind doctor's personality."

"If she did, what would that mean?" Clint asked. He would never get used to all this magic stuff, but if that was what was going on he was more than willing to defer to the experts.

"Though I am not well-practiced in the magical arts, it is my understanding that under such a spell the person affected is banished into their own mind, and another personality takes over," Thor explained.

"How do we fix that?" Steve asked with a frown.

"We need to enter Dr. Banner's mind and lead the true Banner to reclaim his identity," Thor stated.

"How?" Clint and Natasha asked simultaneously.

"We need a practitioner of magic to help us. Perhaps my brother Loki could be persuaded to be of assistance," Thor mused. 

"Hold on," Tony interjected. "I'm not so sure I trust your megalomaniac brother with Bruce's mind."

"I can understand your reservations, but if we do not receive help to reach the doctor, he will remain this way permenantly. And if the last few weeks are any indication, his new personality will only grow worse and more destructive," Thor advised.

"I don't like it either, but I don't see what other choice we have," Steve commented.

"So, how do we get Loki here?" Natasha prompted.

"I will speak to Heimdall and ask him to speak to my father so that he can grant permission for Loki to be sent to help," Thor replied. He then left the room, presumably to do exactly that.


	10. A plan

While Thor tried to arrange passage for the god of mischief, the others created a plan. Clint stayed with Tony in the penthouse and Steve and Natasha went to look for Bruce. No one had seen him since he had left the Avengers' kitchen.

"I can't believe that I didn't notice the change in Bruce earlier," Steve said mournfully as he and Natasha waited for the elevator to bring them to the lab Bruce frequented most.

"Let's be honest, Cap. We all noticed the change, we just liked 'new Bruce' better, so we didn't give it much thought," Natasha stated in a business-like tone.

"That was our first mistake. I mean the Doctor can be a bit closed off, fidgety and awkward, and I may not understand half of what he says at times, but he's a good man and an important part of this team. We should have never wished for him to be any different. We all owe him a huge apology," Steve replied.

"Well, let's find him so we can fix this and then tell him," Natasha answered, eager to end the conversation. She wasn't the type that liked to chat, and she really didn't enjoy talking about messy emotions or regret.

The pair searched the lab, but Bruce was no where to be found. They check his floor, Tony's workshop, and the Avengers' common floor and failed to find him. They checked the sparring rooms and all ten R&D floors, but still could not find the wayward physicist.

On a hunch, they walked to a couple of the closest bars. At the third one they tried, they found Dr. Banner sitting on a barstool, half in the bag. Based on their experiences earlier in the day, they hardly thought that Bruce would leave quietly with them, so Captain America had a quick chat with the bartender about how he had come to "rescue his alcoholic friend from himself" and he might not go so quietly and then he and Natasha forcibly carried the doctor out the door. They hauled him down the street, through the doors of Stark Tower, into the elevator and up to the penthouse where they promptly tied him to a chair and gagged him to stop his string of vitriol.

They had just finished securing the knots when Thor walked in with Loki trailing behind him. The god of mischief looked amused to see the man he thought of as only the vessel for the Hulk tied and struggling, but seemingly unable to free himself from the ropes. He walked over toward the man and flashed him a mischievous grin.

"Not feeling yourself?" he mocked, earning him a disapproving look from his brother.

"You were brought here to help Loki. Do not think I will hesitate to send you back to endure our father's wrath if you attempt any trouble," Thor warned.

"And help I will. I was merely taking a moment to revel in how the mighty have fallen," he sneered.

"If that's his attitude, I'm not sure I want him anywhere near Bruce," Tony commented, mainly to Thor.

"Ah, so the Man of Iron does have a heart. Tell me, how does it feel to have the person you love most betray you? Surely it is no less pain than you deserve for your arrogance, _Avenger_ ," Loki spat at him.

"Brother, I warn you . . . " Thor started.

"So, what do we need to do to restore him to himself?" Steve cut in to try and focus everyone back to the business at hand.

Loki smirked like a Cheshire Cat, and for a moment it seemed like he may not tell them, but then he said, "I will cast a spell that will allow anyone who touches him to enter his mind. Your "little heroes" can then enter his mind palace and look for him. When you find him if you can convince him to reclaim his identity, the personality from Amora's spell will be vanquished and he will return to his former self."

"You said that anyone who touches him will be able to enter his mind . . . That seems dangerous," Steve questioned, taking the lead before Tony could start another quipping competition with the Asgardian god.

"I will stand guard over our friend as the four of you return our brother to himself," Thor reassured.

"What about after he's restored to himself?" Steve asked.

"Then I will do a reversal spell that will counteract my previous one," Loki sighed as if it should have been obvious.

Steve nodded both in understanding and to give the go-ahead to Loki. The air glowed gold, and the shimmering light concentrated itself around Bruce-who-was-really-not-Bruce. The light faded after a few second, but the human Avengers stayed glued to their spots.

"Now would be a good time to try to retrieve the doctor from his mind palace," Loki prompted in a tone that spoke of his disbelief at these Midgardians' incompetence.

Hesitantly, Steve reached over and touched Bruce's shoulder. Natasha and Clint quickly followed his lead, and last, with a clear reluctance, Tony put a hand on Bruce's back.


	11. Things remembered

They suddenly found themselves in a long hallway that seemed to stretch on forever. There were countless, worn, wooden doors lining either side of the hallway in various states of disrepair. Some of the door looked fairly well maintained, others looked like the were on the verge of falling off of their hinges.

Unsure of what to make of what he was seeing, Clint reached over and opened one of the more well-kept looking doors. As he opened it they saw a light spilling out of the frame, and stepped over to look into the space on the other side. 

They heard alarms sounding, and saw green fill the space in front of them. They felt a strange combination of fear and anger that was punctuated by sharp pain. A pain that felt like their bones were snapping, and they would expand until they burst apart. Then everything went dark.

Steve reached over and opened the door across the hallway. Upon opening it the group saw a dimly lit room, seemingly from under a couch or other large piece of furniture.

"Come out, boy," a menacing voice slurred. 

A sharp stab of fear overcame them as they heard footsteps getting closer.

"No Brian, he didn't do anything wrong," a woman's voice pleaded. It was silenced and replaced by a small yelp as they heard a sickening smack.

"Do you want your mother to suffer for you? She'll take your punishment if you don't come out," the angry voice yelled.

A brief spike of anger was overtaken by paralyzingly fear. More blows were heard, as well as more cries of pain. Suddenly, they were no longer under the couch, they were in front of the towering, staggering figure that was getting ready to unleash another blow on the huddled figure of a woman on the ground. The figure turned towards them and raised his hand.

"Please, Brian," a plea rang out from behind the looming figure right before white, blinding pain took over them. The sound of blows and the feeling of pain overwhelmed them, blurring out their vision. Between shocks of pain they could make out pieces of the hate-choked speech the man was giving. Word like "monster" and "useless" were used over and over again until Steve could take no more, and remembering the door knob in his hand, shut the door and stopped the images.

The group stood in stunned horror staring at the door that had just been shut. Clint was shaking, and though he was trying to hide it, Tony was trying not to cry. Natasha had put on her mask of neutrality, and turned as if unaffected to open the next door, trying to remain calm and professional.

This time they found themselves in the back of an old station wagon staring at the front door of a small house. Fear was clawing at their guts as they sat still, waiting for the door to open. The door creaked open and the woman they had seen behind the previous door, Bruce's mother, ran out carrying a suitcase. Relief coursed through them, but it was quickly followed by dread as the door opened again, and a furious, drunken Brian Banner grabbed Bruce's mother by the shoulders and threw her to the ground.

"Noooooo!" they heard young Bruce's voice cry out as if it had come from were they were standing. The sound of sobbing surrounded them, as they watched in tear-blurred, fearful horror as Bruce's father descended on his mother's crumpled form, grabbing her by the shoulders and yelling incoherently at her as he smashed her head against the sidewalk with brutal force until she went still, blood spilling all over the off-white cement.

Natasha shut the door, and a moment of sadness registered on her face before she replaced it with her normal blank mask. Steve and Clint stood at a loss for words, and Tony turned his back to them to wipe at his eyes before any tears fell.

Tony cleared his throat and stated as matter-of-factly as he could, "So it appears that behind the doors are memories."

"That should be obvious. Aren't you supposed to be a genius?" Loki snarked.

Loki's voice came from above and seemed to surround them on all sides.

"You can hear us?" Steve asked.

"Of course I can. I'm standing three feet away from you," Loki shot back.

"More importantly, we can hear you," Steve continued. "If we split up Loki could tell us if anyone finds Bruce. There are a lot of doors. This will go much faster that way."

"Are we sure we can trust . . . " Tony started.

"Are you still doubtful after I did exactly what I said I would do?" Loki called in mock hurt.

"Tony, I just don't know how long this will take if we search one door at a time," Steve reasoned.

Tony sighed. He knew Steve was right, but he hated trusting Loki. Still, the sooner they found Bruce, the sooner this would be over, so he nodded and walked down the hallway a bit before opening another door.

He found himself under a starlit sky surrounded by fresh night air with a slight nip in it. His perspective shifted and he saw a pair of plates and a picnic basket spread out on a blanket, and next to that a dark hair woman staring at the sky.

She shifted her gaze to look straight at him, and he felt a wave of fondness and love wash over him.

"What are you thinking, Bruce?" she asked softly.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am," Bruce's voice replied.

Tony backed up and shut the door softly feeling a combination of jealousy and sadness. He knew that Bruce had been engaged before the Hulk. Knew that he had been in love, but feeling all of those emotions from Bruce's perspective filled him with sadness that the relationship had ended so badly. 

It also filled him with jealousy, because though he knew he had no claim to Bruce, it hurt a little to feel just how deeply the man he loved had felt for another person. He knew it was silly, but he still had no desire to see anymore.

He stepped away from the door and sighed. He wanted Bruce back, but it felt wrong to go traipsing through all his most personal moments. He was gathering his resolve to open the next door when he heard Loki's voice.

"Agent Romanoff has located Dr. Banner," he called.

Well, that was a relief at least.


	12. Leave me to myself

"Bruce," Natasha said as she approached the huddled figure in an open, hilly, green field behind one of the doors.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise, only sneaking a glance at her before he returned his gaze to the ground.

"We came to help you. Amora cast a spell to trap you in your own mind," she explained. "We need to you to remember who you are, so you can go back to being you."

"Why would I do that?" he asked simply.

"You can't want to be trapped in here," she replied in shock.

"Why not? What's waiting for me if I leave? More pain and suffering? More people staring at me like I'm about to lose control and kill them if they look at me wrong? Or worse . . . More death and destruction when I actually _do_ lose control?" Bruce questioned relentlessly.

He paused and shook his head before he continued, "No, it's safer for everyone if I stay here."

"You're wrong. We need you," she countered.

"Need me?" He scoffed. "Need me for what?!? To smash bad guys into line when you need a heavyweight? Thanks, but no thanks, agent Romanoff. I'm sure you'll all make do just fine without me."

"No, not for that reason. We'd miss you on the battlefield, but we'd make do. We need you because you're our friend," she whispered sincerely. 

"Friend?" he questioned bitterly. "Granted I'm not sure my sense of time is correct, I've been trapped in my own mind and all, but haven't I been here for at least several days? Why look for me now? I mean, if you didn't agree with me on some level that it was better with me in here, then why didn't you come get me earlier?"

"We're sorry," she answered sincerely. "Amora's spell, well, it replaced you with someone else. Someone who sort of seemed like you at first, but he's not. Not at all. He's a worse asshole than you could ever be. Please come back."

"You seemed content with him until now, and I've finally found some semblance of peace, so why change anything?" He countered harshly.

Natasha felt that she was rapidly losing the battle. Bruce was slipping further back into the hilly horizon, and she was getting desperate.

"What about Tony?" She called.

"What about him?" Bruce shot back, but there was less of an edge to his voice.

"He misses you," she answered. "He noticed the change right away. He said you weren't yourself and the rest of us ignored him."

"So? He's observant. He is a genius after all," Bruce countered, but it seemed like a little more of his resolve was crumbling, and he was no longer retreating into the horizon.

"It's more than that. He loves you," Natasha said gently.

Bruce stood for a moment in silence. He had noticed the way the billionaire had acted around him, but he had assumed he was joking or merely wanted to get him into bed. Eventually, he had forced himself to ignore Tony's advances, because he noticed that he had developed feelings for the engineer, and allowing himself to think he stood a chance with the other man was likely to end in heartache and disappointment.

"He needs you," she added softly.

"No, he doesn't," he answered brokenly. "I'll only hurt him."

Once again he started fading toward the horizon. It appeared she had lost.

"Stark, get over here! Stark! Stark!" She called out, unsure of what his presence would change, but thinking, hoping, that if Bruce heard from Tony himself how much he was needed he might reconsider.


	13. The real Bruce Banner

Tony was about to take his hand off Bruce and return to the real world after hearing Loki's message, when he heard Natasha calling for him. Without pausing, or thinking for a second, he ran down the halls in Bruce's mind palace towards her calls.

He turned the corner into another hallway that branched off of the main one, and then into another even narrower hallway after that. He ran as fast as he was able and stopped only when he saw Natasha standing in front of one of the shabbiest, most rotten doors he had seen.

He stepped past her and looked in the doorway where he saw Bruce's distant form retreating over a grassy hill, into the horizon line.

"Bruce!" he called as his friend all but disappeared into the distance.

"Tony?" he heard Bruce's voice question as the physicist suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Tony," Bruce gasped as he took in the engineer's battered appearance. "What happened?"

"Well . . . ." Tony started hesitantly.

"I did that. Didn't I?" Bruce's eyes went wide with realization. He turned his gaze to Natasha. "That's why you decided to look for me now."

Natasha shrugged, and Tony didn't deny it, so Bruce started backing away, shaking his head.

"No . . .no . . I can't . . .if I hurt Tony . . .no," he repeated as he backed away looking at them with wide desperate eyes.

"You didn't hurt me," Tony said firmly, when he found his voice.

"Tony, your face. . . " Bruce started to argue.

"Whatever douchebag Amora had take your place hurt me. You didn't. And I know you wouldn't," Tony cotinued, cutting Bruce off. "I miss you. Come back. Come home."

"I . . . . I can't . . . What if that "douchebag" really is me? What if I hurt you Tony?" Bruce pleaded.

"He's not. And I know you Bruce Banner. You're a kind and gentle man. Not a weakling, but a strong man who chooses to use his life and his strength to help others rather than to hurt them. You have incredible control and you can be infuriating with how closely guarded you can be. You love science, and you believe in the power of science to do good," Tony paused and grinned a little. "And you're kind of a hippie. Refusing to even unnecessarily hurt animals by being a vegetarian, and drinking tea and using that mediation crap to obtain more self-control than anyone I know."

"Tony . . "

"Bruce, I know you, and I need you. Please come back," Tony finished in a pleading whisper.

"Okay," Bruce replied, as he ran over to hug Tony. 

He stepped back and closed his eyes. His face scrunched up as he seemed to fight something, and then he disappeared.

"What happened?" Tony asked looking around, and seeing nothing changed accept that Bruce was no where in sight.

"You precious Dr. Banner has returned," Loki informed them in a tone that was half boredom and half spite.

Natasha and Tony moved their hands from Bruce's back and shoulder and they found themselves back in the penthouse standing next to a bound Bruce Banner who was starting to turn green.

Loki quickly cast his reversal spell at Tony's urging, (which strongly resembled threatening), then Tony turned his attention to the other Avengers.

"Untie him!" Tony shouted urgently as he dropped to kneel in front of Bruce. 

He gently put his hands on the side of his head and forced the other man to look at him.

"It'll be okay Bruce. They're untying you. Don't worry," Tony soothed while the others made quick work of removing the rope.

Finding that he was no longer restrained, Bruce took a couple more deep breathes and then seemed to calm down. He looked up with tranquil brown eyes that no longer looked wild or flecked with green and surprisingly enveloped Tony in hug.

Tony grunted in surprise, but quickly settled into the embrace.

"Thanks," Bruce whispered softly in his ear once he had pulled him close.

"For what?" Tony whispered back in bewilderment.

"For seeing me," he replied. "And for helping to remind me who I am."

"Always," Tony answered fondly.

Steve cleared his throat and the pair untangled themselves. Bruce flushed crimson and could barely meet the super-soldier's eye.

"Oh come on. Kiss already. We all know you want to," Steve prompted.

Bruce gasped in surprised, but was quickly captured in a kiss by Tony. He sunk into the kiss thinking about just how right it felt. 

"We'll leave you to it," Clint said with a wink as he turned to leave and gestured for the others to do so.

"Uh . .uh . You don't have to," Bruce stammered, but no one listened to him. They all silently continued their march out of the penthouse, (though in Loki's case he needed to be prodded a few times by Thor).

"I think it's better without them," Tony said as the door shut, leaving the two of them alone. 

He caught Bruce's lips in another tender kiss.

"I love you, Bruce," he said as he met Bruce's gaze as they broke the kiss.

His eyes blazed with such sincerity that Bruce felt his heart start to race. Natasha had said that Tony loved him, but he hadn't really believed her. Now, Tony was saying it himself with such honesty and vulnerability that Bruce couldn't help but reach out and stroke a hand gently down Tony's cheek, trying to convey with the touch all that he felt for the man who was in front of him.

"I love you too, Tony," he proclaimed as he leaned in to claim Tony's lips in a fleeting, hesitant kiss. His reluctance and self-consciousness were clear, and the kiss was over as quickly as it had started, but Tony didn't mind. He had _his_ Bruce back, and they would move as slow as he needed.


End file.
